A week in October opened in my partner’s hectic work schedule, so we are seeking ideas for a relaxing but not boring vacation. My partner would like mild weather and days that are long enough that we can enjoy evenings outside. I am not seeking the adventure of a lifetime this time, but an enjoyable, low-stress trip to a place we’ve never been. We can afford a week anywhere we would consider going, but would be happiest traveling some place that is a good value. (We are Bogleheads, after all.) We like history, stable governments, low crime rates, beautiful scenery, and walking tours. Outside the U.S., we would rather use public transportation or walk than drive.

We would consider locations in the US, Canada, or Europe that we haven’t yet visited. This excludes most of the east coast of the US; the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec; and the U.K., Ireland, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Italy, Spain, and the northern half of France.

I have read the most recent posts on vacations, and normally would spend a week or so researching alternatives. However, I have much less lead time than usual. I will be grateful for your ideas!

Loire or Bordeaux regions of SW France are both spectacular.
I would typically recommend Bali, but recent earthquakes make the region somewhat unstable.
Santiago is beautiful too....
That's a short list of some favorites we've visited.

If price isn't an issue, how about something like
Sugar Beach Resort
or
Ladura
or
Jade Mountain

Sugar Beach is right on a calm "bay" type area.

We have been on a couple of private tours with a great tour company, customized for what you're interested in.
There is a "walk-through" volcano there (not kidding). It was a bit eerie...
Or take a catamaran out to the "pitons" (one of the beautiful landscapes of the island).

Or on Barbados, there are a variety of resorts on the "gold coast", the west side, with THE clearest blue water we have ever seen.
Only the Fairmont Royal Pavilion is *right* on the water (each room or suite), due to grandfathering.
They just had a total renovation, but kept the structures the same so they didn't lose the location. (I think the prices went up considerably, however, and no surprise.)

Those islands tend to be too far south for the hurricane problem (but that's never guaranteed, especially with the weird weather patterns recently).

Thanks very much for all the responses sent so far! I will do additional research based on this information!

I will save ideas for Caribbean vacations for future trips. I recognize that hurricane season should be winding down in October, but I would like to avoid the stress of having to make contingency plans for hurricanes (or wildfires or volcanoes).

How about some of the older settlements in the US, such as Acoma (1075-present) plus Santa Fe for Spanish Colonial, or Oraibi/Hopi Land (1150-present) plus Phoenix for miners & cowboys? Ruins, petroglyph tours, nice weather.

My wife and I have been on 3 of them: California Coast, Mexican Riviera, and Canada & New England.

People who say they don't like cruises often haven't been on one. What I say is: "Hmmm... Restaurant dining at every meal; live entertainment at night; pool, sauna, jacuzzi, fitness room; lectures; movies indoors and out; shore excursions or be on your own; room service every day; beautiful views and fresh air; friendly guests and staff. Does any of that sound good?"

(Disclosure: I own 100 shares of Carnival Cruise Lines, which I guess means I'm a part owner of the company . It also gives me a shareholder benefit of $100 to $250 shipboard credit each time we take a cruise.)

How about some of the older settlements in the US, such as Acoma (1075-present) plus Santa Fe for Spanish Colonial, or Oraibi/Hopi Land (1150-present) plus Phoenix for miners & cowboys? Ruins, petroglyph tours, nice weather.

There are a lot of west coast national parks that have decent weather that time of year and they tend to be less crowded. You can also do things like wine tours in Napa or hit SF/LA for a more urban adventure. Chicago is a nice city also depending on what exactly you are looking for. And someone needs to make a joke about how the weed shops are both exciting and relaxing:)

Hawaii if you don't mind the plane flight is another place that might hit a ton of buttons with some cultural excitment, beautiful scencery and the like. You are right at the end of hurricane season though.

If you like the outdoors, enjoy hiking and don't mind doing some driving, the Pacific Northwest of US and British Columbia CA have a lot to offer. Portland paired with Mt Hood, Columbia Gorge and Northern Oregon coast. Seattle with Mt. Ranier, Olympic Park, perhaps a day trip to Bainbridge Island, or ferry to Victoria. Or drive down the coast and parks from Portland to San Francisco. I know you said "relaxing" but for us, road trips for hiking and natural sightseeing can indeed be very relaxing, as long as you don't try to squeeze too much in. Victoria alone could be nice home base with perhaps some visits further up Vancouver Island.

Not sure how the fire situation might affect any of these by October, or if it would get too cool for you by then. A couple of weeks ago we were out for a two week+ run around (probably not very relaxing, but we had a great time, and came back refreshed) flying into Seattle, then to Portland, Victoira, Vancouver and back to Seattle, with lots of coast, forest and mountain park stops along the way. The only fires we encountered were on the evening news (not to trivialize the fires, just to say they weren't a factor for us and we covered a lot of ground).

You mentioned the eastern US coast as a possibility. Charleston, SC is a fabulous city with beautiful architecture, history, great food and pristine beaches. A very lovely city with lots of things to do.

Another option would be the Blue Ridge Mountains of NC. Perhaps stay in Asheville and tour major attractions as your interests dictate. The weather in October is beautiful with fall foliage but that is also peak tourist season.

The weather in Moab, Utah is fantastic in October. Incredibly beautiful scenery. Great for hiking, rock climbing, mountain biking and many other activities.
Arches National Park, Canyonlands National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park and numerous BLM areas to explore.
Just a bit away are numerous other Utah State Parks, Monument Valley, Bryce Canyon National Park, Capital Reef National Park, Zion National Park, Grand Staircase Escalante National Monument.